On Monday, September 5, 2005, Pride of Baltimore II experienced a catastrophic rig failure, which also resulted in the collapse of both masts, while sailing in the Bay of Biscay, off the west coast of France.

Miraculously, no one was injured. Captain Miles, the crew and guest crew are all fine.

The incident occurred when the ship was underway during a squall. The bowsprit broke about halfway along its length, in turn bringing the rigging down. With no support system, the foremast splintered and collapsed, hitting the mainmast on the way down. The mainmast then splintered and also came down. The Captain and crew responded quickly, and due to their excellent seamanship, were able to retrieve much of the materials.

Captain Miles motored Pride II to the nearest port, approximately 80 miles away, in Saint-Nazaire, France. The Captains and crew are busy assessing the damage, salvaging materials, and starting the process of rebuilding. The port location for major repair work has not yet been determined.

Repairs to Pride II are estimated to take 3 - 4 months, and costs associated with rebuilding the rig and repairing the damage are estimated at $500,000.